WORCESTER - City Manager Edward M. Augustus Jr. will chair a 28-member task force that will conduct an in-depth examination of the community’s needs and resources to address adult chronic homelessness.

Mr. Augustus, who last month announced his intention to establish the Task Force for Sustaining Housing First Solutions, said the group’s ultimate goal is to develop a plan for actions and resources to sustain a long-term system of permanent supportive housing in the city.

He said the foremost challenge before the task force is to re-energizethe “Housing First” approach, which targets chronic homeless people on the streets, in encampments or in shelters, and aims to provide the appropriate level of supportive housing.

The task force includes leaders from housing, social services, health care, philanthropic, government and religious sectors.

“We must work to ensure that everyone in our community, regardless of socioeconomic status, has the ability to reach their full potential,” Mr. Augustus said in announcing the task force’s membership. “This cannot be achieved without safe, stable housing.”

Worcester County saw an increase in the number of adult homeless individuals in 2017 for the third consecutive year. Of particular concern, the number of chronically homeless people, both veterans and non-veterans, increased from 41 to 60 in 2017, according to Mr. Augustus.

As part of the Task Force, the Health Foundation of Central Massachusetts has provided funding to hire Barbara Poppe as a consultant.

She is the former executive director of the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness and is a nationally recognized expert on homelessness and results-driven private-public partnerships.

The task force, which will seek community input, will host two public listening sessions, from 5 to 6:30 p.m. March 21 at the Worcester Senior Center and from 5 to 6:30 p.m. June 13 at the Worcester Public Library.

Mr. Augustus said the task force also has launched a website where people can submit comments and questions: www.worcesterma.gov/hhs/housing-first.